Columbia County distillery producing field-to-glass whiskey

The new Hillrock Estate Distillery in Ancram, Columbia County, about 50 miles southeast of Albany, next month will release what it says is the world’s first solera-aged bourbon. (The solera process, used by producers of some sherry, Madeira, port, rum, brandy and vinegar, uses barrels of different vintages that are progressively mixed over the years.)

Hillrock grows organic rye and barley on the surrounding estate (the corn is from local farmers), and it uses traditional floor-malting and smoking techniques in what is said to be the first new malthouse to be built at a distillery in the U.S. since before Prohibition. Supervising the creation of the solera bourbon — as well as a single-malt whiskey, due in October, and, next year, Hillrock Estate rye and bourbon — is David Pickerell, who was a master distiller for Marker’s Mark for 14 years.

Hillrock’s owner is Jeffrey Baker, who is an executive with Savills, one of the world’s largest real-estate firms. He started as a gentleman farmer in Vermont, then about 20 years ago developed a herd of organic, pastured Black Angus beef cattle in before moving to Ancram.

“I approached the craft spirits movement from a farming perspective, looking to create premier whiskeys that reflect the local terroir, in the tradition of great estate vineyards,” Baker says in a statement. “After research, I found that there were no truly field-to-glass distillery operations in the United States hand-crafting spirits with grain grown and floor-malted on the estate.”

Writing in the Whisky Advocate, Lew Bryson says of Hillrock’s solera bourbon, “It is a good whiskey, with a cinnamon-spicy, fruit-laced finish.”

The bourbon, priced at $80 for a 750ml bottle, will be available at the distillery starting Sept. 15, the day Hillrock opens for weekend tours and tastings. Check the website in the coming weeks for retail and online sellers.

I’ll bet that $80 that if you give 100 people a blind taste test of this, Maker’s Mark, and Knob Creek, they will pick each one approximately 1/3 of the time, thereby rendering spending almost double the amount on the local brand idiotic. But, best of luck to the local brand… If I was a bourbon drinker I’d buy it out of principal.

I am fairly certain as someone who can discern between MM and KB, that if you give 100 bourbon drinkers a blind taste test that they would do better than guessing right 1/3 of the time, especially with only these 3. A test of 100 random people would be pointless.

I applaud their efforts to create a completely “field-to-glass distillery” right here in NYS. This takes work people; grow organic, till fields, floor malting, smoking, distilling… bottle, market, distribute! A bit pricy? Sure, but these guys are hand crafting an artisanal product in only a 250 gallon pot still; ~1200, 750ml bottles at a time. Iif you are a whiskey drinker this would certainly be worth a try.

Pricey but not outrageous. Recently, in a bourbon bar in Philly I paid $13 for a 2 oz pour of Booker’s. Just about any decent bottle of bourbon will set you back $40-$50 at Exit 9 Wine and Liquor. I’m not saying this bottle is particularly affordable, but you are getting a local, small batch, artisanal product. You don’t even want to know what they were charging for olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the farm in Tuscany. A splurge, definitely. Commentary on societal wealth distribution, hardly. Pick out any top shelf liquor or high end bottle of wine and you can spend as much or more without even trying.

My husband is a bourbon drinker, and he would pass a blind taste test I’m sure. He was really excited when I told him about this, and we will definitely be going down there to take a tour, do some tasting and will definitely take a bottle home. Then he can decide if the extra money is worth it. As someone else said it’s $40-50 for a good bottle of bourbon anyway. No one would even blink at a $80 bottle of scotch, why all the outrage for expensive local bourbon?

Hey Mickey #3
Anyone who buys an $80.00 bottle of bourbon probably has been paying a lot more than the average tax payer towards the education and wages of others for years. Also NYS gets a nice chunk whenever someone spends any amount on spirits.

My reference to the Devils Cut “ …and there’re not exactly giving that stuff away” was in comparison to original Jim Beam. I was NOT underwhelmed by the Devils Cut and have enjoyed several this past summer. I’ll let you know if the Hillrock measures up.